PRINCETON —According to a federal complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have accused Princeton University staff members and graduate students of using marmoset monkeys for entertainment purposes — even placing the miniature monkeys on a ferret exercise ball just for a “couple of laughs.”

“I was very disappointed to learn that our marmosets are not being treated with the respect that they deserve,” wrote Dr. Asif Ghazanfar in an email. The email, obtained by PETA, was sent to his graduate students and animal lab staff — who are accused of abusing the marmosets for fun.

“This could only have been stressful for the marmoset. None of those lab members who participated chose to exercise any common sense, sense of decency or leadership,” he continued in the email dated June 22, 2014.

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The unnamed “whistleblower” shared the email with PETA, saying that the accused did not receive any further punishment except for the harshly written email.

“From what we understand, Dr. Ghazanfar did not inform the animal care or youth committee or even report the incident to the oversight body so that the proper investigation could be done,” said Alka Chandna, Ph.D., Senior Laboratory Oversight Specialist in PETA’s Laboratory Investigations Department.

“He did not conduct a review of the incident,” said Chandna.

Ghazanfar’s research investigates the evolution of communication in humans and primarily conducts studies of the animals’ behavior. His work is funded by the NIH’s National Institute for Neurological Disorders & Stroke, Autism Speaks, the National Science Foundation and the James S. McDonnell Foundation.

“Using animal models is one of the best ways to uncover the basic neural mechanisms of complex behaviors by allowing direct measurements of neural activity and changes in the body (e.g., respiration, muscle activity, heart rate, the skeleton, etc.),” Ghazanfar says on his website. “In our lab, we use primate model systems who naturally exhibit (i.e, without extensive training) communication behaviors that are similar to ours. This approach allows us to determine the evolutionary origins of these behaviors, but more importantly it gives us insights into what may go awry in disorders of human communication.”

According to Chandna, some researchers can choose to study the miniature monkey (which only grow a maximum of 10 inches), in a sanctuary instead of a lab.

“There is no reason why this particular experimenter couldn’t do his work in a sanctuary instead of imprisoning these monkey’s in labs with substandard care, where they are handled poorly and mistreated,” said Chandna.

The whistlerblower, according to a release from PETA, also alleges that staff members in this laboratory were callous with the mini-monkeys causing them to bite employees, and have even allowed them to escape from their cages, putting the Marmosets at risk of harming themselves and others.

This is not the first time Princeton University has been cited for abusing lab animals. Since 2009, the institution has received 23 violations including a failure to justify subjecting a monkey to two separate major surgical procedures and a failure to ensure that discomfort and pain to animals are limited and is unavoidable.

“We take any and all allegations of mistreatment seriously and are committed to the care and welfare of animals,” said Martin A. Mbugua, director of Media Relations & University Spokesperson Office of Communications for Princeton University.

“In cases where concerns are raised, we address all concerns swiftly and thoroughly. We are aware of this allegation and we are looking into it.” said Mbugua via email. “Please note that unannounced inspection visits by the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service since November 2011 have not found any non-compliant items.”

Although zoos, circuses and animal breeders can lose their licenses if they are repeatedly found guilty of mismanaging their animals, according to PETA, registered experimental facilities are not privy to the same rules and can continue to conduct business as usual despite several citations.

“That is always the concern that the regulations that exist currently are not sufficient to stop the experiments — experiments that are themselves the biggest insult to the animals because they are being used for trivial experiments at Princeton,” said Chandna. “These monkeys don’t have a life worth living — they are being deprived of everything that is natural for them and governmental regulations are weak and stacked against the animal.”

About the Author

After being laid off from American Express, Sherrina went back to school and got a masters from C.U.N.Y. She isn't scared to ask tough questions and enjoys getting the story behind the story. Reach the author at Snavani@trentonian.com
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